We are no longer ruled by a king who makes decisions without consulting us. We have a government now, one chosen by the people. The voter is king now. In the business world, the case is no different. The customer is king now. The companies that once seemed so unapproachable now seek to interact with us. Just like in Digital Marketing.
That is the power of the Internet. Every company out there wishes to connect directly with their customers now. And the Internet has made it possible through Digital Marketing.
What is Digital Marketing?
Let’s break it down. Marketing refers to how a company promotes its products and services. When the promotion of products and services takes place through electronic devices, we call that digital marketing.
A common misconception here is the idea that digital marketing is only possible through the Internet. Well, no. Digital marketing could also be through television, radio, or the telephone. Remember the definition, digital marketing is the promotion of products and services that takes place through ELECTRONIC DEVICES. While it is only natural for us to immediately think of our cellphones and the Internet, you need to understand that it also includes other mediums.
Let’s divide digital marketing into two broad categories.
- Offline Marketing
- Online Marketing
- What is Offline Marketing?
As the term suggests offline marketing takes place without the help of the Internet. The advertisements that you see on the TV are examples of this kind of marketing.
If you are a 90’s kid, you may also be familiar with the radio advertisements that your parents used to listen to. Although radio marketing is no longer popular, some forms of offline marketing are still widely used.
Don’t we all still get those calls from random companies promoting their products? Cold calls are an introvert’s nightmare. These calls that arrive without warning are also a form of offline digital marketing.
Offline marketing may appear unpopular, however, most successful ventures combine both offline and online marketing to get impressive results.
- What is Online Marketing?
Here we have the most popular, yet comparatively cost-efficient mode of digital marketing. According to DataReportal, as of the start of 2021, there are 4.66 billion active internet users. The Internet is the place to go for all your business needs – increasing brand visibility, generating new leads, and introducing a new product.
There are quite a few ways to do online marketing. The most important ones are –
- Content Marketing
- Social Media Marketing (SMM)
- Email Marketing
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Pay-per-click (PPC)
- Affiliate Marketing
To get a better idea about online marketing, let’s take a look at these, one by one.
- Content Marketing
Haven’t we all come across blogs that catch our attention for attractive and informative content? These blogs are a form of content marketing. Most companies create a web page to provide quality content. These web pages help generate new leads.
Content marketing is the creation of relevant content that is aimed at your target audience. ‘Content’ could be in any form. It could be videos, blogs, podcasts, and infographics. Most companies use a combination of many of these forms of content creation. They devise a strategy after considering the preferences of their target audience.
- Social Media Marketing (SMM)
An effective digital marketing strategy eventually boils down to connecting with your customers while at the same time drawing in new customers. There is no better way to connect than through social media.
Social Media Marketing uses the social media platform to create and share content. Popular social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn are some of the most important areas where a marketer finds the opportunity to do this.
Most successful companies share regular updates with their customers and make sure that their content is fresh and attractive. In the case of new companies with little to no brand identity, the major goal would be to ensure brand visibility. Interactive short contents have a higher chance of generating more leads.
- Email Marketing
As the name suggests, Email Marketing refers to the promotion of products or services through emails. Most companies these days use automated emails that regularly reach customers with information on the latest offers and new releases.
To use email marketing the first step is to acquire the email addresses of your target audience. Some websites ask your email id to use some features or unlock a portion of the content. These are strategies used to collect email ids.
Email marketing can often drive customers to purchase your products by offering them discounts or letting them know about an ongoing sale.
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
SEO is crucial in maximizing visibility. SEO is a strategy to optimize your content so that it ranks higher on Google search. Think of it as a process of augmentation, whereby the content is modified using keywords and phrases that are commonly searched.
Ranking higher on the search is important because it improves the chances of your content being viewed and read by more people. It is in many ways a long-lasting way to attract your target audience.
- Pay-per-click (PPC)
Those ads which appear on your search results with the term ‘Ad’ attached to them are a part of PPC marketing. As the name suggests, every time your ad gets a click you are expected to pay for it.
Unlike SEO, which is an organic marketing tool, PPC is not free and is not a long-term option. However, it has immediate results. If used alongside SEO with a proper strategy in place, it has great outreach.
- Affiliate Marketing
The term may sound complicated but it’s quite a simple concept. Let me explain with an example. Many of us have come across Instagram influencers who promote a product through their posts. They might review the product and provide a link for us to purchase it. Promotion of this kind is what is referred to as affiliate marketing.
The influencer in this case uses their popularity to drive customers to the seller’s product or services. Every time the seller gains a customer, the influencer gets paid. It is like getting commissions. Next time you see an influencer doing a product review, you might just say to yourself, “Hey! That right there is affiliate marketing.”
Conclusion
Digital marketing is a necessity today to reach your customers and constantly connect with them. Unlike traditional marketing, digital marketing gives us the option to customize our marketing strategy according to our audience. The right mix of online as well as offline marketing can provide you with the best results.
If are new to digital marketing, get a strategy ready. Plan out your website and your social media handles. The world is online so go online to connect with them directly.